


Mer-aculous Merfolk.

by JenJo



Series: Clint Barton Bingo 2019 [5]
Category: Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe, Basically the little mermaid?, Clint made a deal to get feet, M/M, Mer! Clint, MerMay, did not read the fine print, not clint apparently, technically, turns out you can't just go running around the streets when six months ago you didnt have feet, who knew
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-04-05 02:39:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19039489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenJo/pseuds/JenJo
Summary: Clint broke his ankles. Again.Apparently he didn't read the fine print- something about being too excited to walk on land?





	Mer-aculous Merfolk.

**Author's Note:**

> Clint Barton Bingo Square E2- "Injuries."
> 
>  
> 
> There is a brief dream where Bucky feels like he's drowning. Nothing explicit.

“You need to stop squirming, it will only make you have to sit still for longer.”

 

Clint rolled his eyes, glaring down at Bucky. “ _ Don’t lie _ ,” he signed.

 

“I’m not lying,” Bucky replied, pausing in his wrapping of Clint’s ankle. “You know you can’t walk for extended time. And you certainly can’t chase people halfway across town.”

 

“ _ They punched a dog. _ ”

 

“I know, I was there.” Bucky sighed, looking back down and resuming wrapping Clint’s ankle. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t worry, but you need to know your limitations-”

 

Bucky stopped when Clint tapped on his forehead; he looked up to see Clint shaking his head. “ _ I know the limitations of the spell; I was the one who made the deal, idiot. _ ”

 

“You’re angry, so I’m going to ignore you calling me an idiot.”

 

“ _ You are. Such an idiot. Not my fault. _ ”

 

“You’re being obstinate.”

 

“ _ You’re making up words _ .”

 

Bucky focused back on Clint’s ankle. “I’m going to finish wrapping this ankle, since you refuse to see a healer.  _ Then  _ we can talk.”

 

Bucky caught the movement of Clint folding his arms across his chest in his peripheral vision. He sighed, resolving to finish the bandaging as quickly as he could.

 

~~~

 

“I know that you’re not used to having such exposed ankle bones. But you have to be careful.”

 

Bucky had finished wrapping both of Clint’s ankles, and was now seated on the couch, facing Clint. Clint had his legs on top of Bucky’s, and still wore a defiant look on his face.

 

“ _ I was. Not my fault ankles are weak _ .”

 

“Clint, you’ve only had them for six months.”

 

“ _ If we were in the water, they never would have gotten away _ .”

 

“That’s what this is about. You’re more concerned about them having got away, than with your ankles having broken.”

 

Clint bit his lip, his tell that he didn’t like what Bucky was saying, but couldn’t argue with it.

 

Bucky closed his eyes briefly, shaking his head. “Clint. You have a hero complex almost bigger than your ego.”

 

“ _ Almost _ .”

 

“Almost,” Bucky matched Clint’s smile. “But not by much. I’m surprised I can fit in the room with it.”

 

“ _ You think you’re funny _ ,” Clint signed, sticking his tongue out.

 

“I know I’m funny, and you know I’m right.”

 

Clint rolled his eyes. “ _ When will my ankles get stronger? _ ”

 

Bucky sighed, reaching out to run his hand lightly over Clint’s leg. “I don’t know. As you keep reminding me,  _ I  _ wasn’t the one to make the deal for them.”

 

“ _ No one said anything about bones being able to break _ .”

 

“You didn’t ask?” When Clint shook his head in response, Bucky sighed again. “Clint.”

 

“ _ I know. Always question deals made with magic users _ .” Clint bumped his head against the back of the couch, frustrated. “ _ I know. And I am paying for my stupidity. Let me wallow. _ ”

 

“No can do. No wallowing in the apartment. Your rules.”

 

Clint stuck his tongue out at Bucky again. “ _ I have regrets in my life. But not having to see you wallow is not one of them. _ ”

 

“And you are happy for me to have to watch you wallow?”

 

Clint nodded.

 

Bucky rolled his eyes, shaking his head fondly as Clint began to smile. “You’re mocking me.”

 

“ _ Mocking. Distracting. Both. Neither. _ ”

 

“Hilarious. Are you proud of yourself?”

 

“ _ Never _ .” Clint shook his head, before pointing at Bucky. “ _ But you, I am proud of you. Always _ .”

 

Bucky waved his hand, dismissing Clint’s compliment. “What have I done to earn that?”

 

Clint stared at Bucky with a deadpan expression.

 

“What?” Bucky frowned at Clint. “What is with that look?”

 

Clint sighed, leaning forward to tap Bucky’s forehead. “ _ Smart _ .”

 

“Am not.”

 

“ _ You rescued me. And yourself. You are my hero. Of course I am proud of you. _ ” Clint paused, letting his eyes obviously move up and down Bucky’s body. “ _ The body does not hurt matters _ .”

 

“There’s the Clint I know and love,” Bucky said, leaning forward to kiss Clint with a smile. 

 

Clint made sure that it wasn’t a brief kiss.

 

~~~

 

The pair ended up falling asleep on that couch, in a tangle of limbs. Clint was using Bucky’s chest as a pillow, his legs resting on the ends of the couch while Bucky’s rested on the floor.

 

It wasn’t a restful sleep for Bucky, who began shifting in his sleep.

 

_ Shadows in the sky. A storm from nowhere. Drowning. No sun. No hope.  _

 

_ Falling. _

 

_ Falling. _

 

_ Falling. _

 

_ The shadows had followed him under. They wrapped around him, ensnaring them, capturing him. Ensuring no escape. _

 

_ He would never escape. _

 

Bucky awoke with a gasp, taking a moment to realise that he wasn’t drowning. He was in his apartment, with a worried Clint looking at him.

 

_ Clint _ .

 

“I’m fine,” Bucky gasped, having to cough to clear his throat.

 

Clint raised an eyebrow, clearly showing his disbelief.

 

“Just a dream,” Bucky muttered. Clint frowned, waiting for him to continue. After a sigh, Bucky did so. “Fine. Another drowning dream.”

 

Concern showed on Clint’s face. Bucky shook his head. “I’m fine. Go back to sleep.”

 

Clint shook his head, shifting so that he was sitting on the couch, his legs on the floor. He patted his legs, before pointing to Bucky.

 

“What?”

 

“ _ Sleep _ ,” Clint signed, pointing to his legs. “ _ I’ll protect you from your nightmares. _ ”

 

“What about you?”

 

Clint shrugged. “ _ Slept enough. Your turn. _ ”

 

Bucky leant down, resting his head on Clint’s legs. “I don’t think I’ll go back to sleep.”

 

Clint didn’t respond, instead using his hands to lazily card through Bucky’s hair. 

 

“It isn’t going to work.”

 

Clint continued to draw his hands through Bucky’s hair.

 

“Not feeling sleepy at all.”

 

Clint began to slowly massage Bucky’s scalp.

 

“Not…. one bit,” Bucky muttered around a yawn.

 

Clint continued to slowly massage Bucky’s head. 

 

“N…” was all Bucky could manage, before succumbing to sleep. He did not notice Clint’s grin of triumph, but he did notice his dreamless sleep.

 

Not dreamless, exactly- he dreamt of calm ocean, of lazy days spent drifting with the currents, in the arms of the man he loved. In a place where no injuries could hurt either of them anymore. 

 

But that was the thing about dreams- they were just that. They didn’t live in a world where they could both live without pain.

 

Not yet, anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :D
> 
> First vertical line done!


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